1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a digital camera system capable of detecting a feature point of a person and operating on the basis of the detected result.
2. Description of Related Art
The method for detecting a person from an image data has been known starting from a system that confirms a person himself by comparing fingerprints or the iris with that stored in advance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,912 precisely discloses a method that discriminates a person by comparing feature points detected from an input image with feature points such as an eye, a nose, a mouth, and the like stored in advance. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-232934 discloses a method that increases accuracy of the image dictionary upon storing feature points detected in such manner. The following examples are applications of such method to a camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,371 discloses a video camera that separately controls parameters for processing a specific subject portion and those for the other portion by detecting the specific subject signal. Accordingly, for example, white balance of the subject can be corrected and the background can be defocused upon shooting portrait photography.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,193 discloses a video camera that calculates the area of the detected face image and carries out zooming process comparing it with a reference face area.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 9-233384 discloses an image input device that divides a shot image data into a given number and automatically expands and outputs a divided image including a specific image among the divided images.
EP1128316A1(28 Feb. 2000 U.S. Pat. No. 514,436) discloses a camera that stores data such as coordinates and dimension of a face detected by a face-detection-algorism, position of the eye and a pose of the head together with the image data. Moreover, it discloses that the camera carries out automatic red-eye correction algorism and applies to a detected face a face-priority-color-balance algorism.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-218020 discloses an image processing method that assumes sex of a person by detecting lips and locally carries out processes such as skin color, gradation, and smoothing.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-330882 discloses a camera that changes a detection algorism for detecting subject information corresponding to a shooting mode. Here, for example, focusing and the aperture value are controlled corresponding to the number and the size of the detected face in accordance with the face detection algorism.
U.S. Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002/101619A1 discloses an image storing device that stores a shot image in connection with discrimination information of the subject stored in advance.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-051255 discloses a main-subject-detection camera that detects the main subject and measures the distance to the main subject when a plurality of people are detected by a person-detection means. Here, the person locating at the nearest position, having the largest area, or locating at the center of the image frame is discriminated as the main subject.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-333652 discloses an image shooting device that generates a storing signal comparing shot face information with face information stored in advance. When plurality number of faces are there in the image frame, a face corresponding to higher priority face code is focused.
U.S. Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003/0071908A1 discloses an imaging device that detects a face and sets a distance measuring area or a photometry area to at least a portion of the face. Moreover, it discloses an image-shooting-with-emitting-a-speedlight device that detects a face and emits a speedlight for preventing red-eye.